Husband or handbag? 8 things you could buy instead of your own engagement ring

Kelly Brook took matters into her own hands when it came to her engagement ring (Picture: Xposurephotos.com)

One in five women (6 million British females) now pay for their own engagement ring.

Even the celebs are doing it. Earlier this week, reports claimed that the pneumatic Kelly Brook had allegedly put her own ring on it, following a proposal from ex-Gladiator boyfriend, David McIntosh.

And in our enlightened and equal (so they tell us when it suits them) times, purchasing an engagement ring is no longer seen as the sole responsibility of the husband-to-be.

This is according to a recent poll of 1000 women by shopping channel, QVC. The survey also tells us that younger women (18-24) are most likely to not mind paying towards their own ring, while the town of Wrexham boasts the most women who have paid for their own rings (very forward thinking, those Wrexham women).

All makes complete sense. Until that cynical voice in your head kicks in to remind you that engagement rings are supposed to cost the equivalent of 3 weeks’ salary. With the average UK salary coming in at £26,500, that means the cost of an engagement ring amounts to around £1,529.

And then you start to think about all the other things you could buy for £1500. You could buy your own ring and live happily ever after with your loving hubby. Or, you could get a really nice designer handbag. Husband or handbag?

Here’s 8 things you could have had.

1. The handbag

Can a handbag replace a husband? (Picture: WWW.BIGPICTURESPHOTO.COM)

Pros: With an amazing handbag, do you really need a husband? The Saint Laurent Sac du Jour bag costs £1560 and would get more admiring looks. You wouldn’t need your boyfriend to put things in his pockets for you anymore because you’d take this everywhere, obviously.

Pros: Of course shoes are better than men! They make you taller, slimmer, more elegant. For £1500, you could buy approximately 3 pairs of Sophia Webster shoes. Is any man better than Sophia Webster shoes?

Cons: They hurt you, more often than a man hurts your feelings (we hope).

3. Pampering

Steve who? (Picture: stokkete/stokkete)

Pros: Why spend your time picking up his socks from the floor when you could be enjoying a relaxing spa break? A trip to the Como Shambhala Estate in Bali for 7 days (including flights and transfers) costs £3000 per person, so you could go for, um, 3.5 days of incredible relaxation.

Cons: 7 days is relaxing; 3.5 and a 17 hour flight possibly not. And sometimes all you want is a foot rub on the sofa.

4. Lols – courtesy of a professional

He’s funny and you can book him (Picture: file)

Pros: Ed Byrne’s pretty funny and you can hire him for private events apparently.

Cons: At an advertised cost of £10,000 (presumably for a 30 min after-dinner speech, or after-microwave meal in this case), you could only afford approx. 5 mins of lols. Your boyfriend’s, admittedly tired, jokes are for free.

5. A personal chauffeur

Ooh, would he carry the shopping too? (Picture: IPGGutenbergUKLtd/IPGGutenbergUKLtd)

Pros: Yes, this has to be better than an engagement ring. No more miserable Tube and bus journeys, someone to wait outside when you’re shopping.

Cons: DSL Exec Cars cost £340 a day, which means your carriage vanishes at midnight on day 4. The boyfriend will whinge about it but he’ll generally give you a lift if you really need one.

6. A princess’s royal tour wardrobe

Major hat envy (Picture: AP Photo/SNPA, David Rowland)

Pros: You could get the Tory Burch dress (£390), the Gina Foster hat (£450), the Emmy shoes (£400) and the MaxMara dress (£310) Kate’s worn on the royal tour so far. You’d look like a princess!

Cons: They’re all sold out already.

7. Chocolate

Awesome (Picture: Cadbury’s)

Pros: You can get approximately 3190 Creme Eggs with that much money. Creme Eggs are awesome.

Cons: Might ruin that healthy eating plan. Stick with the boyf and make him eat your last bit of Easter egg (before you do).

8. A dog

Do you want a ring or do you want me? (Picture: JStaley401/JStaley401)

Pros: They’re more faithful than humans and you can get a French Bulldog (basically, the cutest ones) for £1500.

Cons: Oh, okay, we know a lifetime of love and happiness is better than all these things. A dog would be cool though.

Top 10 UK cities where women have paid for their own engagement ring:

Wrexham – 43%

Cambridge – 38%

Bristol – 37%

Aberdeen – 33%

Aberystwyth – 32%

Leeds – 31%

Edinburgh – 27%

Sheffield – 25%

London – 24%

Wolverhampton – 23%

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